To The Same End
by SHIELDing-things
Summary: A series of unrelated fitzskimmons one shots, usually AUs or prompts. Requests and reviews are always welcome.
1. Time Apart

If they ever aren't all together, it's usually when Skye is on a mission or Fitzsimmons are sent on a recruiting trip to the best universities in America and Britain. The first time they were all apart was a complete coincidence, having nothing to do with the prank war that the three of them had started and that nothing could stop for the whole month it had gone on for.

Skye was taken on an educational tour around all three of SHIELD's academies by May, simply being told that she needed to become more familiar with the usual ways people become agents without worrying about being on a mission.

Ward took Fitz to a training branch in the Fridge to help him think faster when in the field although they all thought if he thought much faster, he'd have the solution before the problem even arose.

Simmons was brought to the Hub under Coulson's supervision to share some of her research in person and decide which hardware tech they would be bringing back to the Bus.

They skyped every night when they were finally allowed to be alone in their hotel rooms, bundled up in blankets with the lights dimmed trying their best to keep the noise down and avoid waking up their travelling companions. Skye was used to being away from the other two so it wasn't so hard on her, it was Fitz and Simmons that seemed most confused by it all. "It's strange waking up alone," Simmons had whispered, eliciting small smiles from the other two.

"Two more sleeps, babe," Skye replied just to see them roll their eyes at her. The only pet names they could get along with were the British ones that sounded just plain weird when Skye tried them so she stuck to the teasing kind. Bae was a definite favourite for her.

Skye was first back on the Bus, May had only left it in a bunker a few miles from the final academy so they could pick up the others after a week apart. Fitz was picked up next, being hugged tightly by Skye as soon as he stepped foot on the ramp. "Skye," He breathed, his arms loosening slightly around her frame. "Skye, this bag is really heavy,"

"Oh, right," Skye murmured with a slight smirk as she let him go and he dropped the duffel to the ground. "You didn't starve while you were gone then," She teased while running a hand through his curls just to make him pout with annoyance.

"You're kidding, right?" Ward said before Fitz could respond, joining the duo with the equally heavy duffel easily slung over his shoulder. "He wouldn't _stop_ eating. The sandwiches Simmons made, the pretzels and twizzlers you packed,"

"Don't forget those peanut butter cup things," Fitz reminded him with a slight smirk. "We don't have those in Britain. It's one of the few things the US does better,"

"I'd be surprised if he hasn't put on at _least_ three pounds," Ward stated causing Fitz to pull a face but not challenge it as he grabbed his bag and began walking the rest of the way up the ramp. "May said you've been keeping up on your daily exercises," Ward continued as they wandered up the stairs and along the corridor to the lounge.

"You and May spoke while we were away?" Skye questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"You're not the only one who knows how to use a phone, Skye," Ward said, barely resisting the temptation of rolling his eyes at her. "We had to keep an eye on all three of you while you were away, make sure you weren't pining too much," He couldn't resist adding that with a smirk though.

"I do _not_ pine, Ward," Fitz stated in a tone so defensive they both grinned at him. "I _don't_,"

"Whatever you say, Fitz," Ward said, that same smile tugging on the corner of his lips. "You should unpack, Skye and I are due a training session,"

"_Ward_," Skye whined even if she already knew he wouldn't let her off. "We were gonna bake cookies for when we picked up Simmons. Can't this wait?"

"You've gone a week without any supervision during workouts," He reminded her as they stepped into the lounge, both boys dropping off their bags there. "Come on, a couple hours and you'll be free,"

Skye reluctantly agreed and followed Ward back to the cargo hold, leaving Fitz to unpack and eat the leftover candy tucked into his bag. He waited in his bunk an hour before boredom eventually took over and he wandered down to the cargo hold too. It was nice watching Skye training, all snark and jokes in an attempt to past the time quicker. It would have been even nicer if Ward would let him stand in the same room instead of being stuck in the lab so as not to distract her.

Simmons was picked up nearly three hours after Fitz was. Skye didn't even bother asking to finish the session early, simply wiping the sweat from her forehead and jogging down to hug the girl tightly. Fitz wasn't far behind either, wrapping one arm around Skye and the other around Simmons to breath in the mix of sweat and coconut shampoo.

"Aren't you meant to be training?" Coulson asked with a ghost of smile making all three of them jump then laugh softly.

"I thought we could catch up first, it's been a _whole_ week, Sir," Skye pleaded and batted her eyes in the sweetest way she could manage. Fitz would have been tempted to tease her for it if he hadn't been craving time alone with the two of them.

"There'll be plenty of time to relax later," Coulson stated, all three of them sighing and crossing their arms. "I need to debrief Fitz, Simmons needs to manage the loading of our new equipment and you have training to get back to," He reminded them.

Getting them to stay on track was more effort than seemed worth it for the next three hours that passed, even keeping Skye from staring at Simmons was work enough, not to mention the amount of mixed orders Simmons was giving and the number of times Coulson had to snap his fingers to get Fitz's mind back in the room.

But finally Ward finished training, the loading was complete and Fitz's debrief was finished. They all knew where they were going, no one had to say a word. Fitz's bunk was set in the middle of the girls' bunks so it only made sense to meet there.

"Ward will start making dinner soon," Simmons stated, last to step inside and close the door behind her. "We should probably wait till after," Her tone wasn't all that convincing when Skye began kissing down her neck and Fitz's hand had slid up her shirt to her bra line.

"Screw dinner," Skye murmured onto her flushed skin, running her teeth from her jaw to shoulder with enough friction to make Simmons softly moan as Fitz came up to meet her lips with his.

There wasn't much persuasion needed to guide her to the bed, Skye and Fitz lying her down while kissing at any bit of exposed skin they could find. Skye was beginning to unbutton Simmons' shirt when she sat up with a confused look, reaching behind her to grab something. "Why am I sitting on a bag of twizzlers?" She questioned while trying to refrain from laughing too hard.

"Snacks for later," Fitz answered with a slight shrug. "It's been a week, I thought we might need something to keep our energy levels up," He added as if this were the most obvious thing.

Skye couldn't muffle the laugh that escaped her lips, throwing her head back as Simmons tried to cover her smile while dropping the bag at the end of the bed. "Aw, Fitz," Simmons murmured when she noticed the blush creeping onto his cheeks which quickly disappeared when she pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

"It's a good idea, boo," Skye encouraged, her lips taking over for Simmons when she took a breath. "Where would we be without you?"

"Undressed, for one," Fitz answered, smirking as he began unbuttoning the rest of Simmons' shirt while Skye kissed down his neck and undid his tie.

Simmons' shirt was hanging off her back and Skye was halfway down Fitz's when a knock came on the door. "Hey, I made burgers for everyone if you're hungry," Ward called through the door making all three of them sigh. "You guys in there?" The door began to creak open and Skye quickly jumped into action, being the only one fully clothed still.

"We're just, uh... playing scrabble," She answered while stepping from the bed to the door in one swift movement and blocking the majority of the other two from view with her body. "We'll be right out, just gotta tidy the board up,"

"Oh, okay. Do you-" And then Ward froze when he heard Fitz very distinctly whisper 'have you seen my tie?'. "Are you..." He stopped again, the closest thing to a blush creeping onto his cheeks before he vigorously nodded and took a large step back from the door. "I'll, uh, see you in a minute,"

"Oh my God," Skye grinned from ear to ear as she shut the down and almost collapsed onto Fitz's lap with a fit of giggles running through her. "You... He heard... Oh my God... You should have seen his face,"

"It's not _funny_, Skye," Fitz whined while suppressing the tug of a smile on his lips and concentrated on tying his tie. "I could have just taken it off to play scrabble, right? It doesn't _necessarily_ mean we were doing anything else,"

"If you two take much longer getting ready then he'll definitely know it was something else," Skye answered as she straightened her shirt and hair that had been ruffled with all the hands running through it.

They gave each other the once over, wiping any trace of themselves of the others before they stepped out into the corridor and found their way down to the lounge. The food was laid out ready for them, all three other agents waiting. Ward's blush was slowly beginning to fade but May and Coulson couldn't look more amused as the three of them sat down and started eating as casually as possible

Conversations eventually warmed up and broke the awkwardness, even if super spy Grant Ward couldn't keep eye contact with any of them for more than a few seconds at a time. Skye and Fitz tried to eat as quickly as they could, receiving an occasional nudge from under the table to pace themselves. Eating quickly wouldn't just tip off their eagerness but indigestion was one hell of a mood killer.

But eventually everyone had finished, the plates were in the dishwasher and they were edging back to their bunks again. "What about a game of scrabble?" Coulson suggested. Simmons was just about to politely except the offer when Skye noticed the corner of his lip turned up in a smirk.

"Actually, Sir, we were thinking of watching a film in Fitz's bunk then turning in for the night. Maybe tomorrow," She answered and then, before the other two could undo her work, lead them out of the lounge.

"_Skye,"_ Simmons whined as she tightened her grip on the other girl's hand. "He might figure it out if we don't play scrabble with him,"

"He already knows, babe," She stated with a smirk while skipping the last couple steps to the bunk then sliding the door open. "Now, both of you get in and get naked. No more interruptions."


	2. Our Fairytale

1.

Jemma Simmons was the only child of King Ulric and Queen Alys, born a beautiful baby girl that nearly killed her mother. She should have died from the large blood loss alone, not to mention the infection that followed, but a traveller named Franklin Hall had stopped for refuge in the King's grounds and offered his services as a healer. The Queen survived and gained her strength back to resume her usual duties but it was decided there would be no children after their daughter.

Jemma was small for her age but she didn't mind too much, there were just more places she could tuck herself away in with one of Hall's books on mathematics or natural philosophy. The only company princes and princesses would have would be their siblings and without that, life was lonely for Jemma. She had Franklin, who taught her everything he knew, the books and equipment he would give to her and the knights of the keep but she was lonely, she wouldn't deny that.

That was until a knight, his wife and son joined the kingdom so as to serve under her father. Jemma was polite to the knight's children but they all seemed rather dull until she met Leopold Fitz, an eleven year old boy who had a certain skill for building large scale mechanical creatures. Jemma introduced him to Hall and together they began studying, her to become a healer and him a mechanic.

2.

At fifteen Fitz's father died in battle but he and his mother stayed in high accommodation in King Ulric's castle on his orders. They were both assured it was simply for the undying loyalty and protection he had shown for his king but they weren't the type to accept the generosity of others. Fitz's mother began working in the kitchens, her sweet inventions always popular at feasts while Fitz began crafting more of his little machines for the knights' and King's amusement.

When they were seventeen their friendship blossomed into romance, as everyone had predicted since the moment they had met. The King held a stern meeting with Fitz, the teenager practically shaking as he was watched from over a wine goblet. "Jemma doesn't need someone to look after her, not like people think princesses do. One day she'll rule the kingdom as queen and you could be her prince. She may want a dozen children and she may want none at all, both will be her decision. My question is, Leopold, will you be ready to be under the thumb of a woman?"

Fitz couldn't help the tiny smile that crossed his lips, doing his best to hide it behind his own goblet. He had never liked alcohol but had become accustomed to drinking it at social events he was allowed to attend. Now, it seemed to steady his nerves slightly. "With all respect, your highness, I think I've been under Jemma's thumb from the moment we met,"

3.

The older the two grew the harder they were pressed to marry. Her mother and father told her it was in all due time, whenever she was ready for the commitment of ruling beside her friend. She said she knew Fitz was the one for her and that was true. Fitz filled a hole inside her that she hadn't quite realised the size of until he was right beside her reading a mechanics book and smiling ever so slightly. But he didn't fill all of it and Jemma knew she couldn't hope to rule without that piece there. Fitz wouldn't admit it, but he could feel that hole in himself too.

It was two weeks shy of Jemma's twentieth birthday when a messenger arrived at the castle with the simple task of telling them that entertainers had arrived from overseas with something very interesting. The show was to be done in small numbers at a secret location and even the princess wondered what could be so interesting that she and Fitz were bundled into the back of a carriage with the King and Queen. The knights rode at the front of the procession with the messenger, muffled conversations passing between them of what the treat could be.

Jemma didn't quite trust her eyes even when she was at the edge of a scorched field, three beasts of some description roaming round inside. "Jemma," Fitz whispered excitedly, his hand reaching out to squeeze hers. "Jemma, _look_,"

"I'm looking, Fitz," Jemma murmured as a figure emerged from the far side of the field, the reptiles turning toward it and a low hum vibrating from them. "Who is that?"

"That is our tamer," A man answered as he sidled up beside them with a pleased smirk. "The only person in the world who can handle them without getting hair singed or a hand bitten off. Truly something remarkable,"

The figure had strolled calmly through the group of reptiles until she had almost reached the centre of the field. A small puff of smoke rose up from the smallest one followed by a few sparks of fire that easily passed her.

She held her hand to it and it scampered forward almost like an excited dog. She gripped the side of its body before swinging her leg over its back, adjusting her seating then patted on the rough of its neck. "What are they?" Jemma asked in astonishment as the beast stretched its giant wings and with one swift movement sent them high into the air.

"Dragons, m'lady," The showman answered as the reptile beat its wings harder to send them circling the field high in the sky. A yell came from above but neither Jemma nor Fitz could quite work out what it was meant for until the other two followed her into the air too.

"This is a wonderful display, Sir, but I don't understand why you asked for our presence to witness it," The King stated to which the showman smiled again before he rested a hand on the man's arm and guided him with the Queen and the few knights off to talk business.

"They're incredible," Fitz mumbled while running a hand through his tight curls. The sun was beginning to set and was winking in their eyes but it didn't stop them staring as the dragons flew high above them.

It wasn't until the sun was low under the hills and, by the sounds coming from the tent the party had disappeared into, the deal had been settled that they landed again. They were no more than two dozen yards from the duo, the force of the landing sending a gush of air through them and made them grin from ear to ear. Jemma looked at Fitz and Fitz looked at Jemma, the same idea shared between them, before they began walking toward the dragons and their tamer.

"Like the show?" The woman asked while glancing up from tracing each groove of the scales on the back of one dragon. Jemma and Fitz nodded eagerly making the woman smirk slightly. "So, let me guess. You're the princess," She said while pointing to Jemma, a slightly pink tint creeping onto her cheeks. "And your her prince,"

"Not quite," Fitz answered with a slight shrug.

"We aren't married," Jemma elaborated when the woman scrunched her nose up in confusion. "Things aren't ready yet, we want to do it when we're both complete,"

"Complete," She said as if she was sampling the word, feeling how it tasted before she nodded in agreement and stepped forward. "I'm Skye," She added while holding her hand to Jemma first then Fitz.

"I'm Jemma Simmons, this is Leopold Fitz," Jemma introduced, her voice failing just for a moment as she made contact with Skye's skin. She glanced over to Fitz who blinked rapidly as he slowly let go of her hand and stared down at his palm in confusion. Skye flexed her fingers a few times before shrugging and reaching out for a dragon that was nudging his head into her back.

"So, princess and soon-to-be prince... How would you like a ride?"

4.

Jemma and Fitz never did ride the dragons, always being very decisive that they were Skye's and Skye's alone, even when they began to take a liking to them too. Skye and her travellers stayed for six weeks as arrangements were made. There was a battle waging in one of the far corners of the King's reign but by time the soldiers that were sent to fight arrived at the scene they were either exhausted or had lost sight of the enemy. They agreed to fly groups of thirty men into the neighbouring villages, building up troop levels until they were ready to attack at which point the dragons would serve as their advantage.

Both Jemma and Fitz knew the second they touched Skye that for one moment, no matter how small it was, she filled up that hole in them. Watching her leave the first time was painful. The second time even more so. The third time was torture.

Each time she came back exhausted, her body stiff and aching from the length of time spent riding her dragons. She was allowed three days rest between each flight, all of which she spent in bed with Jemma insisting on nursing her and Fitz drawing up plans for a more comfortable flying arrangement. They didn't explain why they were doing it, all three of them seemed to already understand.

The fifteenth trip north was her final one, she knew that a week in advanced but they all chose not to tell the duo until she was miles away. Even as a baby, Jemma rarely made a noise louder than a gurgle. But she did that night, she shouted until her throat was hoarse and her eyes burnt with tears. Fitz tried to bury himself in his inventions but with clumsy and forceful hands came broken parts and metal thrown at walls.

She was gone. Just, gone.

5.

The battle was bloody and tales trickled back of the smell of burnt flesh long before they heard word of survivors. Eleven days passed and the council had all but given up, their only consolation being that their enemy would have been destroyed alongside their allies.

Jemma was sat on her balcony, the air chilling her skin as she pulled her knees to her chest. The sky was an icy blue color, the few clouds that occupied it spread thin and far between. She was focusing on the way her hot breath was visible in the cold and the hush of Fitz's breathing when she heard something out of place. Air displaced, rushing to fill the gap as it was swept aside like water by a boat's oar.

Her eyes searched the sky, desperate for any sign of her return. "Fitz," She whispered, a soft murmur escaping his lips as he tried to cling to the first few hours of sleep he had managed in days. "Fitz, can you-" She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes narrowing on the three dark shapes drawing closer to the castle.

"Fitz! Fitz, wake up!" Jemma shouted while jumping to her feet and rushing to the bed. His tired eyes flickered open but before he was even granted an explanation she grabbed his arm and yanked him up to stand and run with her along the chilled corridors. "Hurry _up_... We can't... miss her," Jemma puffed as she tugged harder.

They spilled out into the courtyard mere moments after the largest dragon had dug it's claws into the ground and secured a reasonably smooth landing. A figure, limping but alive, slid off the back and took a shaky step forward. "Skye," They breathed in unison before sprinting forward and grabbing for her, arms wrapping tight around her bruised and bloody frame. "You're alive," Simmons whispered into her neck.

"I won't be for much longer if you keep squeezing me like that," Skye wheezed to which they quickly let her go apart from Fitz's hand on her back to keep her steady. "Didn't I tell you I'd get back just fine?" She asked with a smirk.

"You didn't even tell us you were leaving," Fitz stated, the humor in his tone barely masking the hurt in his eyes. "We thought you were gone for good,"

Skye simply reached out again, the bodies curling back around her as the soft hum picked up from the sleeping dragons. "It's okay," She whispered onto Fitz's neck, placing a gentle kiss on his skin before moving to Simmons' neck. "I'm home,"

"Home?" They questioned, both sets of eyes searching for hers as she held them tightly to her.

"You're my home now," She stated with a slight smile. "I've found my missing pieces... and I'll always come home to them."


	3. Meeting The Teachers

Skye was pretty honest when it came to her unplanned pregnancy. If people asked about the father she'd tell them the truth; he was her childhood best friend that turned into more for the one night before he enlisted. And Ward was a great dad, he'd do anything for Skye and his son. But while he was deployed it was just the two of them muddling through the best they could.

Skye hadn't really made a conscious decision not to date once Luke was born, it just came along with the territory. Even when he had started elementary school Skye chose to spend her days creating programs to sell online and her evenings with Luke.

That changed when he started third grade. Triplett, Ward's army buddy who had been honourably discharged after being shot in the leg, had been back in the country for eight months and was already working on finding her a boyfriend. Or girlfriend. Really, any relationship that got her out of the house a little more often was an improvement by then.

"Why don't you wear that red dress? That _always_ looks good on you," Trip stated as he stretched out on Skye's bed.

"It's a parent/teacher conference, Trip," Skye reminded him, pulling on a cream knitted sweater and straightening out her hair. "It's not like I'm going to find _the one _while eating stale cookies and cheap coffee at the back of the class,"

"You'll like Miss Simmons, mom," Luke called through the door as he sat cross legged on the other side. "_And_ Mr. Fitz. They're both very pretty,"

Trip raised his eyebrows at Skye who simply rolled her eyes. "Did you put your plate and cup in the dishwasher yet?" She asked while taking a final glance in the mirror then wandering across the room to open the door. Luke glanced up at her with his father's chocolatey brown eyes and nodded. "You're gonna be good for Trip tonight, yeah?"

"Yep," Luke answered as he jumped up and hugged his mom around the waist. "Don't forget to look at the science projects by the snacks, mine came second this year,"

"We spent three weeks on that solar system, do you think I'd forget to see the finished product?" She teased while ruffling his hair and leading them to the door. "Alright, boys, usual rules for tonight. If you're ordering pizza leave some for me, I'll be back before bed," She kissed Luke on the forehead, quickly hugged Trip then stepped out into the front yard and closed the door behind her.

Luke was right when he said Fitz and Simmons were pretty. Well, Skye would have described them as kinda gorgeous but he was eight, she could let him off the hook for that. Miss Simmons had the typical elementary school teacher look, with the polka dot shirt, skinny jeans and high tops, but her pretty face had gained attention from practically every parent that had stepped into the classroom.

Skye's appointment was third to last which gave her plenty of time to scope out the new parents, try the surprisingly fresh cookies and browse through Luke's books and projects before she sat down at the desk with Miss Simmons. There was the usual explanation of how he was doing in class (very bright and social but occasionally holds back in group discussions), Skye's understanding of how he was doing with work at home (always leaving it till the last few days like his mom would but never late on an assignment) and family life in general ("Luke talks a lot about his father being in the army, is there any support we could offer you?").

And then when Simmons had closed Luke's book and was signing the attendance form Skye glanced around the parents that remained, mostly drifters who didn't look all that eager for their appointment, and sat forward in her chair slightly. "So, uh... this might be totally inappropriate but," Skye paused to see Simmons glance up and cock an eyebrow. "Could I get your number?"

There was a long moment of silence. Skye's palms started to sweat and the awkwardness of the question began to dawn on her.

"Yeah, that sounds great," Simmons replied so calmly it was like an elephant had been lifted off Skye's chest, paired with that wide smile and she was pretty sure her heart stopped for just a second. They exchanged numbers then Skye signed her slip, flashed a final smile to Simmons before she wandered two doors down to Mr. Fitz's room.

The classroom was empty apart from the man at the back of the room tipping plastic cups of cold coffee out of the window with a chocolate chip cookie hanging out of his mouth. He was humming something under his breath as he worked and it took a few seconds before Skye brought herself to interrupt him by knocking on the door.

"Oh, sorry, I thought that was the last of the parents," Fitz rushed to explain with a faint smile as he dropped his cookie and the stack of emptied cups on the back table. "Just, uh, take a seat," He continued, brushing the crumbs off his cardigan as he strolled forward to sit opposite Skye at his desk. "So, you must be Luke's mom, right?"

And once she was in the room without parents queuing behind her and neither of them had to worry about the fifteen minute rule the conversation quickly strayed from Luke's participation in class to the almost unbelievable stories of parent/teacher conferences.

"We're used to parents turning up in their work clothes so I didn't mind until he started trying to sell his CDs to the other parents," Fitz explained with an excited smile tugging on his lips with the hope Skye would find it equally entertaining.

"You're kidding me," Skye said while trying to contain her giggles. "And here I was thinking wearing a dress might give the wrong impression," She added with a grin.

"No, you would have looked great in a dress!" There was another silence just like the one in Simmons' class and Fitz blushed bright pink. "I- I mean, you would have looked fine, nothing wrong with a dress and, uh," He paused again, made eye contact with Skye then flushed a shade of red that matched Trip's suggested dress.

"Thank you," Skye finally said to ease the blush and stammering, even if it was kinda cute. "So, I can tell Luke he doesn't have much to worry about with his grades?"

"Yes, of course," Fitz agreed while quickly nodding, standing and straightening the papers on his desk. "He's one of the top in his class, you should be very proud," He added to which they both smiled. Skye shook his hand, tossed her plastic cup into the trash can and stepped toward the door.

"Oh, um, Skye?" Fitz called just as she was reaching for the door handle, running his own sweaty palms together. "It was nice getting to know you tonight and... I was wondering if you'd like to do this again, outside of school?"

Well, that threw Skye momentarily. She glanced to the door for a moment then to Fitz's face, nerves painted across his expression, before she smiled slightly and nodded. He wrote down his number on a scrap of paper, she promised to text him that night and with a final handshake they parted ways.

Trip and Luke had fallen asleep on the sofa with a box of pizza by time Skye arrived home. She couldn't quite bring herself to disturb the peace so she carefully scooped up her son and carried him down to his room, tucking him into his bed while brushing the hair out of his face and placing a soft kiss onto his forehead.

When she sauntered back into the living room Trip had already stirred from his sleep and was picking up leftover pizza crusts from the floor. "So how'd it go?" He asked as she took a bite out of one of the cold slices from the box.

"Fine," Skye stated with a shrug through her mouthful of food. "He's one of the best in his class, always polite and never late on any of his homework,"

"Same as always," Trip said with a slight smirk as he watched her doing everything to avoid a certain area of conversation. "C'mon, girl, you couldn't lie to me if your life depended on it... Did you get a number or not?"

"Two," Skye answered reluctantly then took another large bite from pizza in the hopes he'd think a full mouth excused her from questioning.

"_Two?_ And here you were acting like dating single parents in Luke's class was above you," Trip teased with a smirk as they wandered out to the kitchen to clean up.

"Well, they aren't _exactly_ parents..." Skye murmured, making Trip smile even wider.

"A t_eacher?_" He questioned to which Skye squinted a little with amusement. "Teacher_s_? _Plural?_"

"It's not that bad, right? I mean, they wouldn't have given me their numbers if they weren't interested... At least, I don't _think_ they would have," Skye bite her lip in frustration, dating was a _lot_ easier in high school.

"Of course they wouldn't," Trip reassured her, his muscles relaxing a little as he placed the leftover pizza in the refrigerator and dumped the box in the trash. "Trust yourself a little, I'm sure they think you're great, whoever they are. Now, go get some sleep. I'll let myself out,"

Skye resisted texting Fitz until she had brushed her teeth, pulled on a pair of pajamas and was curled up under the warm covers of her bed. She tried to play it casual even if she did feel like she was fifteen again and, really, it wasn't _that_ long ago, right?

She mulled over the two lines of text for close to ten minutes before finally adding an 'x' to the end and forcing herself to press send before she could put it off any longer. She had her face buried in her pillow with embarrassment when the first text from Simmons pinged on her phone.

xxxx

She arranged a date with Simmons first, two Saturdays after they first met, but went on one with Fitz first, only one Saturday after the meeting. She had already arranged a sleepover for Luke at another boy's house so she took full advantage of having the place to herself.

He brought Indian takeout from a place his friend recommended along with a bottle of red wine and they sat at the dining room table making each other laugh for almost two hours. Then they migrated to the couch with bottles of beer, laughs turning to tentative kisses turning to bedroom antics. And yeah, for a guy that blushed bright red after saying she'd look good in a dress, Fitz really did know his way round the bedroom.

Skye almost cancelled the date with Simmons half a dozen times in the following week. It wasn't that she didn't want to go, more the worry that the guilt would swallow her whole before she even made it to the restaurant. But she'd call Trip and he'd talk her down every time, leaving her standing in front of her mirror with Trip one side and Luke the other.

"I still like the red one," Trip stated as he crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not too flirty but gives _just_ enough suggestion for a first date,"

"Clothes don't need to suggest stuff, Trip. That's what mouths are for," Luke stated as he glanced up and down the purple dress. "Besides, I wore jeans on my first date with Jack and he still likes me,"

"I bet he does, kiddo," Trip said with a slight smirk and a shake of the head. "Leave the hair alone, Skye. Curls are fine," He added after catching her twirling a strand of it round her fingers. "You're gonna be late if you don't leave soon, anyway. Grab your jacket and get out of here,"

Skye did just that, albeit with a few extra whines thrown in for good measure. She knew after spending ten minutes in the restaurant she'd have to thank Trip big time for making her go. Once Simmons was out of her classroom she could make Skye's stomach ache with laughter and butterflies all at the same time.

Getting through the meal took longer than they both would have liked but they couldn't eat much faster with the constant giggling and flirting passing between them. When they finally did finish they split the check and strolled out into the car lot where Simmons had parked her car, both going quiet as they wondered whether this was reason enough for what they wanted to ask.

"So... My place or yours?" And with Skye's cheeky half smile they both hopped into the car and drove across town, Simmons being layered in kisses from Skye's impatience. Trip had told her she would have to compare their performances in bed but, honestly, there was no lack or gain in either of them. She lost her head a couple times and they both collapsed down onto the bed with a slight glaze of sweat on their foreheads.

It wasn't until ten minutes had passed that the guilt came creeping back. Simmons laid peacefully next to her, Skye's arm draped over her side so naturally she didn't even have to think about it. "S- Uh, Jemma?" Skye corrected the name then tucked a strand of the other woman's hair behind her ear.

"Mhm?" Simmons murmured as her eyelids slowly fluttered open and she turned over to face Skye. "Is something wrong?" She asked in a sleepy voice.

"No, I just, uh... I have to tell you something," Skye explained in a tone as nervous as Fitz was when he asked for her number. Simmons seemed to wake up a little as she scrutinised Skye's every word. "I know this is probably a really, uh, casual thing so it might not matter but... I slept with another teacher from your school," She continued and Simmons' face fell. "It's, um, Leo Fitz," Skye murmured finally, kicking herself for managing to ruin it with both of them at once.

"Oh, _Fitz_," Simmons said, her face instantly brightening and even a soft laugh passing her lips. "Don't look so worried, Skye. We, Fitz and I, we've been sleeping together for quite some time too,"

"What, really?" Skye's not the judgemental type, far from it in fact. So the surprise isn't disdain, more utter disbelief that she somehow managed to land two hot people that aren't just cool with her sleeping with both of them but are already sleeping with each other. Yeah, that's one in a million. Trip sure would be smug with himself about that.

"So... you're cool with it?" Skye asked with a cautiously excited smile creeping onto her face.

"Of course I am, sweetheart," Simmons replied so sweetly it could give someone toothache. Skye smiled and nodded but the nerves were still apparent in her tight muscles so Simmons dropped a soft kiss on her lips before jumping off the bed and strolling out of the room. The silence in the apartment was only broken by a muffled conversation Skye couldn't quite work out from her position on the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest as she waited to be kept company again.

Simmons returned a minute later but this time Fitz was behind her, his shirt slightly unbuttoned but otherwise very overdressed compared to the other two. Simmons slid in on the left side of Skye where she was before and Fitz took up the right side, both of them curling around her like cats.

Skye slowly let herself lie down while Fitz unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and pressed his chest to her back as reassurance. "Better?" Simmons asked while brushing the hair out of Skye's face and placing another kiss on her lips.

"Better," Skye whispered onto Simmons' shoulder, Fitz's breath already tickling along her neck.

And, yeah, it was a little strange having two other bodies in bed instead of one, having three sets of arms and legs to get tangled and laid on in the night. But it was nice when they woke her up with kisses and coffee in the morning and when she texted Trip to tell him she would be a little late and when they whined for her to come back to bed.

Yeah, a _little_ strange, but_ really _nice too.


End file.
